That was her cue to leave.
Jade peeked through the doorway to the sitting room and saw a light click on in the dressing room opposite. She had at least a few seconds while Arabella rummaged for the aforementioned veil. Their ladies’ maids were likely only minutes away, so it was now or never. Like a ghost, Jade floatedthrough the sitting room, opening the door to the suites without a sound and closing it softly behind her.
This time, she took a staff staircase that led from the suites to the laundry rooms, since maids and valets would be on their way from the other direction. She took unhurried, casual steps down the stairs, passing a housemaid who glanced at her curiously, but Jade didn’t acknowledge her. At the bottom, she wound through the basement back to the staff entrance, stopping only twice when someone was in her path. She deposited the duster and rag on a shelf of cleaning supplies before sneaking to the door and into the courtyard. Her pickup would be beyond the boundary of the palace grounds, which meant she had a lot of open area to cover.
With all staff inside preparing for dinner or readying the family, Jade started unbuttoning the maid’s dress as soon as her skin met the warm, sticky air of a summer evening. She returned to her other clothes tucked behind the wall of the alcove where she’d changed, but she froze when her hand met the shirt and trousers she’d hidden from sight.
On top of her now-folded pile of clothes was a piece of paper, folded into a small rectangle and marked with a symbol Jade had become increasingly familiar with: three interlocked triangles in a row over a solid line.
Jade’s breathing turned fast and shallow as she dropped the clothes and opened the letter, her fingers fumbling with the seal.
Lord Grannam is going to make a move at the masquerade. Be there.
The beat of her heart thundered in her chest as Jade’s eyes ran back over the words, scrawled in a neat, pointed hand. Another tip. And the informant knew exactly where she’d left her clothes. He always knew where to find her.
Jade had no way of knowing if the author was male, but the harshness of the penmanship lent the idea to her imagination. She threw a glance over her shoulder, almost expecting to see a figure lurking there. He had to be nearby.
She shuddered as a warm breeze fluttered the bottom of her chemise, and she suddenly felt exposed. Jade flung the shirt over her head and yanked on her trousers and boots, wrapping herself in their sense of security. She took the time to replace the dress on the drying line before checking her surroundings one more time and melting into the darkness.
Four
A fog hung in theair and shrouded the base in gray mystery, the predawn light barely cutting through the mist. Jade’s hand dipped into the pocket on the front right hip of her tailored jacket, and her fingers traced the outline of the latest note. The words appeared in her mind as if she saw them in front of her.
Lord Grannam is going to make a move at the masquerade ball. Be there.
The last two words stuck in her mind:Be there. Like he was in charge. Like she was beholden to him, an inferior who followed his orders.
With all the previous notes from the informant, Jade had made the choice to investigate his tips rather than feel compelled to follow through. This was different, and it sent a squirming unease through her heart. Two little words changed the nature of their association. Before, Jade had been in control, choosing what to do based on his information and how far to take it.
Now, if she chose to follow through with his command, she was essentially acknowledging his control over her.
Jade puffed out a sigh and crinkled the edge of the paper before removing her hand from her pocket. Major was only a few successful missions away. She would keep her secret—for now.
And she would follow her informant’s order.
She ended her morning walk in the training yard, where troops were filing into lines based on company and standing at attention. Jade took her place at the front of her company as Matherson came into view. He stopped in front of the gathered troops and faced them, his hands clasped behind his back, his silver commander insignia shining in the sunlight that peeked through the clouds.
“Good morning,” he greeted, his voice booming through the courtyard as he began morning announcements. Something Jade appreciated about Matherson was his personable demeanor. She had worked with other commanders who were all military all the time, tough and rigid and formal, their stone faces never cracking.
“A group of troopers is set to depart for the south tomorrow, where they will help maintain order as recovery efforts are underway after the recent flooding. They will head out tomorrow at sunrise. The cadets who spent the last week on a training mission will be returning later today. And by the end of the week, seven new troopers will be joining the ranks of the Enforcement Battalion, having successfully completed their magic-resistance training. We wish them all the best.
“Regarding The Claim, I have heard from the commanding officers at Castle Venemer that they believe a rotation of the military posted with the king’s guard would be beneficial. It’s likely they will pull from our battalion. We must all be ready for this potential transition in the coming weeks.”
Theo.Jade tingled with excitement and straightened her shoulders, but in an instant, her spirits deflated. Theo had been serving as an intelligence agent at Kingdom Command, the castle’s military base, for the last two years.But, in one of her recent briefings with Matherson, Jade had learned that Theo’s special unit protecting the incapacitated king had unexpectedly been reassigned at the request of the king’s council. He was no longer at the castle. The fleeting moment of elation that rose within Jade at the opportunity to reunite with her best friend vanished with the realization that she would not be joining him there.
The more time she spent in the military, the more she believed they would never be stationed together.
“We have no reason to believe there is a threat against the king, but those in authority there have requested this change, and we must follow whatever instructions we are given.”
Jade’s stomach twisted at Matherson’s statement, again seeing the words from the note running through her mind. Perhaps Lord Grannam had something up his sleeve, and the informant wasn’t the only one who knew. Ending the king’s suffering in any way would prompt the decision for his successor—immediately.
“In other news, a group of sorcerers and sorceresses was discovered overnight in Fairesse.” The shift of tone in Matherson’s voice and the slight tension of his shoulders weren’t lost on Jade. “Those who resisted were eliminated during the skirmish, and the others have been taken to the prison at Venemer until time for their execution.”
Jade tried to swallow, but her throat had gone dry. She gave no outward indication of the agitation swirling within her. She couldn’t. Did the injustice of the law not sit well with others, or was it just her? Matherson had never outright said as much, but his reaction in the times that it had been brought up made Jade believe his conscience was bothered also.
But, as members of the military, they were both not only bound by the law, they were also forced to accept it. Outwardly, at least.
Perhaps it was her parents’ disagreement with the law and the consequences they faced as a result that set Jade against it. Rumor had it that magic was sometimes passed down in families, but other times, it appearedin a person unexpectedly, an innate part of who they were. No one deserved to die as a result of something they couldn’t choose or control. All because one sorcerer convinced King Evrard, the grandfather of the current king, to fall to his death from a fourth-floor balcony.
